Results

The whole PhD thesis will be accessible in the early 2019.

The aim of this research is to explore traditional wushu in the target population of European practitioners. To do that, specific mixed methods design is adopted, using interpretative phenomenological analysis and structure equation modelling. The specific research questions are stated for the qualitative study: What is the experience of psychological collectivism in the context of traditional wushu training? What does the described experience impact? For the quantitative study, the research questions is: What is the relationship of practicing traditional and modern wushu with psychological collectivism and mental toughness?Firstly, this study aims to add to the definition of traditional and modern wushu. In this sense, is disproves that modern and traditional wushu are same. This is crucial not only for the awareness of public and athletes, but mainly for the official institutions, such as International Wushu Federation. In this study there are different results for modern and traditional wushu groups, mainly in how they scored on reliance and on the connection between mental toughness and psychological collectivism. This states differences in these two disciplines, which is important for future applications such as therapeutic use, but it does in no sense state that modern or traditional wushu is better than the other one.

Exploring psychological collectivism in traditional wushu, this research uncovers several themes that described the experience with self-orientation and its impacts, and thus answers the research question. In the qualitative part of this study, most importantly the group identity is described, as well as what does it mean to be a member of the training community. Furthermore, it is crucial to obtain such position in the group, which is as closer to its center as possible; this enables the practitioners to learn more and on a deeper level. Their seriousness in learning serves as a commodity in the process of being accepted closer. Next, this study describes control over the members. This may be as well an explanation for what is found in the quantitative part of the research: modern wushu practitioners scored higher on reliance, one of the dimensions of psychological collectivism, than traditional wushu. I suggest it is because in traditional wushu there is a hierarchical control and sometimes solidarity may be in fact provoked by this system of control. Moreover, the quantitative study enables to test the relationship of psychological collectivism and years spent in training. In the result, this was not the case. Therefore, I suggest that psychological collectivism is not developed with years of training.

This study also disproves that there is no relationship between psychological collectivism and mental toughness in traditional wushu. In modern wushu, however, no relationship was found. In traditional wushu, the relationship is shown but only marginal, and it needs to be confirmed with future study and a bigger sample size. However, this is the first study to research psychological collectivism and also the first one to do so in the field of martial arts.

Psychological collectivism represent collectivism on personality, not society level (Kim, Triandis, Kagitcibasi, Choi & Yoon, 1994). It emphasizes situation as a key factor in collectivistic and individualistic behavior (Kim, Triandis, Kagitcibasi, Choi & Yoon, 1994; Triandis, 2001). With a correlation test this research confirms that there is no relationship between psychological collectivism and cultural background of the respondents’ wushu teacher.Finally, mental toughness is confirmed with this study to be multidimensional. This model of mental toughness consists of three facets: constancy, control and confidence. Furthermore, this study does not confirm that years of practice and competition experience influence mental toughness. This is a key finding. On the other hand, perceived level of skill does. Moreover, I suggest that this quantitative variable, perceived skill level, is connected with the topic found in the qualitative study, seriousness. Seriousness serves as a commodity to gain better position in the community. Practitioners, who are serious, undergo more demanding training. Those, who “survive”, are close to the teachers and each other, creating an in-group of survivors. I suggest that this environment may be crucial for developing mental toughness, thus this may be the explanation of the relationships between perceived skill level and mental toughness.